Big pharma companies and Donald Trump have teamed up to milk yet more money from the NHS. As campaign group 38 Degrees warned:
Keir Starmer has been warned that Donald Trump will demand full access to the NHS for US healthcare companies as part of a new trade deal.
The result? US pharmaceutical companies pushing up drug prices – forcing the NHS to spend more, and potentially reducing the amount of critical drugs available. We can’t let that happen.
Leeching more profit
At a meeting in London, the US ambassador to the UK, Warren Stephens, asked chancellor Rachel Reeves to enable pharmaceutical companies to drain more resources (via profit) from the NHS. Health secretary Wes Streeting then capitulated in talks with the industry to lower a rebate scheme that claws back some of the money these companies makes from the health service. But it is still not enough for Trump and the corporations.
At the same time, big pharma companies have stopped nearly £2bn in investments in the UK in 2025, further piling on pressure. For example, US drugmaker MSD announced last week that it would abolish its £1bn London research centre. Shortly after, AstraZeneca said it would scrap a £200m investment in research facilities in Cambridge.
Trump and big pharma holding the NHS to ransom comes despite MSD, for instance, making £3.27bn in net income in the first quarter of this year.
Nationalise
The price gouging makes it clear that big pharma should be brought in-house to relieve pressure on the NHS. Moneyed rewards can remain with nationalisation. Scientists already receive prizes for breakthroughs and the same could be done in a public sector pharmaceutical division to further incentivise discoveries beyond public good.
The thing is, Streeting has taken a lot of donations from private healthcare. That includes £65,000 from Egerton Capital John Armitage, which has £169m invested in Big pharma corporation Eli Lilly.
Big pharma’s profit-milking goes way back. From 2007-2017, pharmaceutical company Concordia raised the price of a life-changing drug by 6000% as it was the only supplier.
Nick Dearden, director of Global Justice UK, said:
Big Pharma is engaged in a capital strike against the British government – demanding submission so they can fleece our NHS. We need to face down the bullies. Public investment in medicine production outside these monopolists’ grip.
Big pharma has long been ripping off the NHS, but Trump and co want to turbocharge this. We must say: enough.
Featured image via the Canary
